The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 01, 1991
Filed:
Mar. 16, 1990
Stanley Schorum, Madison, CT (US);
Science Accessories Corp., Stratford, CT (US);
Abstract
The disclosure is directed to a method and apparatus for more accurately determining the transit time of acoustic energy travel between a transmitter location and a receiver location. An electrode pair spark gap is provided at the transmitter location, and an acoustic receiver is provided at the receiver location. The spark-gap is energized to produce a spark by coupling an electrical potential across the electrode pair. The generation of a spark at the spark gap is sensed, and an initializing signal is generated in response thereto. A timer is initialized in response to the initializing signal. The receipt of acoustic energy from the spark is detected at the receiver location and a terminating signal is generated in response thereto. The timer is terminated in response to the terminating signal, and the time measured by the timer is indicative of the transit time of acoustic energy travel between the transmitter and receiver locations. In a preferred embodiment, the means for sensing the generation of a spark at the spark-gap is operative to sense a current coupled to the electrode pair.